1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of exercise and therapeutic equipment, and to the particular field of swimming accessories.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Swimming is well recognized for exercise and therapy. People can swim even if they are disabled, elderly, or the like, because swimming provides excellent cardiovascular exercise as well as excellent physical exercise without placing undue stress and strain on muscles, tendons, bones and joints. People can swim well into their 80's and 90's when they cannot participate in most other sports.
While excellent, swimming does have some drawbacks. For example, some people do not have easy or convenient access to a public swimming pool. Others are shy or reluctant to swim in a public pool or in a pool that has many other swimmers. Some pools are not easily accessible to some users.
Therefore, there is a need for a means for permitting a person to swim while overcoming the above-mentioned problems.
The art contains several examples of devices that allow a person to swim in place. That is, some form of resistance is applied to a swimmer so the swimmer can exert energy in swimming while not requiring a great deal of space. A common example of this is the bungee cord tied to a swimmer and anchored to a stationary object associated with the swimming pool. The swimmer swims to the end of the bungee cord and then tries to swim further while the cord stretches and retards the swimmer. The bungee cord, along with nearly all other presently-available devices, includes a belt that is worn around the swimmer's waist. While the presently-available devices solve many of the above-mentioned problems, they have problems of their own.
The most important drawback associated with the presently-known devices is that these designs focus on the effect of holding the swimmer's body stationary in the water and these known devices fail to address the significant forces affecting the body during the act of swimming. Proper alignment is crucial in any sport and, if not addressed, can lead to fatigue, serious injury and/or pain.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that permits swimming in place but which provides proper alignment for the swimmer during swimming.
Furthermore, many of the presently-known devices are not comfortable to wear. Some of the devices have waist bands that place a great deal of force on the swimmer over a small area. This stress may create sores and may improperly align the forces on the swimmer.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that permits swimming in place but which provides proper alignment for the swimmer during swimming and which is comfortable for the swimmer.
Still further, most of the presently-known devices are not versatile. They do not permit different users to customize the device to their particular needs and requirements. The devices cannot be customized for a particular exercise regimen. Often, the presently-known devices are difficult and cumbersome to don or doff which may exacerbate problems associated with using those devices for a disabled swimmer.
Many of the presently-known devices are not amenable to use with other accessories, such as timers and the like. This further vitiates the advantages associated with swim-in-place devices by further limiting their versatility.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that permits swimming in place but which is versatile and which is easy to don and/or doff.